Anguilla (Road Bay) Cruise Port
Sandy Ground, Anguilla · Caribbean
Cruise ships anchor offshore in Sandy Ground — tenders ferry passengers to the port.
Plan my port daysSmall-ship tender port. You land on the pier at Sandy Ground, right on Road Bay beach; taxis take you to Shoal Bay, Meads Bay or Rendezvous Bay in 15–25 minutes.
At a glance
Port summary
Anguilla is a flat, 26 km long British Overseas Territory just north of St Martin, known for some of the best beaches in the Caribbean and an unhurried, upmarket feel. There are no cruise berths and no big-ship calls: small luxury and sailing ships (Seabourn, Silversea, SeaDream, Star Clippers, Ponant, Explora and others) anchor in Road Bay and tender passengers to the pier at Sandy Ground, the island's port village. Road Bay beach starts right at the pier, lined with beach bars and restaurants, with the Road Salt Pond behind the village. Boats from the Sandy Ground pier run to tiny Sandy Island and the Prickly Pear Cays for snorkelling. To see more, take a taxi: there are no public buses, no Uber and no meters, and fares are fixed by zone and paid in cash, usually in US dollars. The Valley, the small capital with the historic Wallblake House, is about 10 minutes away; Meads Bay and Rendezvous Bay with the Dune Preserve bar are 15–20 minutes; Shoal Bay East, often ranked among the world's best beaches, is 20–25 minutes. Car rental is possible with a temporary local licence; drive on the left. The island's currency is the East Caribbean dollar, but US dollars are accepted everywhere.
Cruise dock
Sandy Ground pier, Road Bay (tender landing)
Ships anchor in Road Bay and tender passengers to the Sandy Ground pier on the beach. Customs and immigration are in the small building by the beach; taxis wait on the road behind.
Latitude: 18.197172, Longitude: -63.091816
See dock on port map →Getting to Sandy Ground
From the cruise terminal to the city centre
Map & things to do
Money & payments
Bring US dollars in small notes for taxis, boat shuttles and beach bars; use a card at restaurants. You don't need East Caribbean dollars.
Build your perfect day in Sandy Ground
Tell us your cruise line, ship and departure date and we'll give you a complete set of full port information and playbooks of how to spend your day.
Inside the Caribbean collection
Here's a peek at everything waiting for your Sandy Ground cruise day.
Typical weather
Emergency & contacts
Excursions compared
3 comparedShoal Bay East beach break: Anguilla's famous white-sand beach
≈ 4 h · sold by 3 cruise lines
Cruise line
€110$123
Do it yourself
€65$73
Save ≈ €45Save ≈ $50 (41% off)
Tenders land at the Sandy Ground pier. Take one of the taxis waiting by the road to Shoal Bay East (20–25 minutes, about US$25–35 for two, cash, fixed zone fares) and agree a pick-up time for the way back. Beach bars rent two sunbeds and an umbrella for about US$20–30 and serve lunch; the beach and reef are free.
See the DIY plan →
Sandy Island and Little Bay snorkelling by boat
≈ 3 h · sold by 3 cruise lines
Cruise line
€245$274
Do it yourself
€55$62
Save ≈ €190Save ≈ $213 (78% off)
The Sandy Island shuttle boat leaves from the same Sandy Ground pier where the tenders land, roughly hourly from about 10:00, about 15 minutes each way for roughly US$10–20 return. Bring your own mask or rent gear at the island; lunch at the beach restaurant is about US$30–40. Little Bay is a separate trip by kayak or boat from Crocus Bay, so the DIY version focuses on Sandy Island.
See the DIY plan →
Ready-made port days
7 plansShoal Bay East Beach Day by Taxi
Anguilla's most famous beach for half the price of the ship's version: a fixed-fare taxi, a pair of sunbeds, a reef snorkel and a barefoot lunch.
Sandy Island Snorkel & Lunch by Shuttle Boat
A 15-minute boat hop from the tender pier to a palm-dotted sandbar with a reef around it and grilled fish on the sand.
Free Sandy Ground: Road Bay Beach & the Salt Pond
Spend nothing at all: swim off the beach where the tenders land, look for herons on the old salt pond and stroll past Anguilla's most famous beach bar.
Anguilla Heritage with the National Trust
A local guide from the Anguilla National Trust drives you through 4,000 years of island history: Amerindian rock carvings, old wells, a ruined court house and the 1787 Wallblake House.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does my cruise ship dock in Sandy Ground?
- Sandy Ground is a tender port: your ship anchors offshore and passengers transfer to shore by small boat.
- Can I walk from the cruise port into Sandy Ground?
- Yes. Sandy Ground is walkable from the cruise port — many cruisers reach the city centre on foot.
- How do I get from the cruise port to Sandy Ground centre?
- Typical options include On foot, Taxi, Ferry, Car rental. Durations and costs are listed in the transport section above.
- How much time do I need in Sandy Ground?
- Plan for at least 2 hours ashore to see Sandy Ground independently and return to the ship with a safe buffer.
- What currency is used in Sandy Ground and are cards accepted?
- Sandy Ground uses the East Caribbean dollar. Carry some cash for markets, taxis, and smaller vendors — cards aren't accepted everywhere.
- Is there Wi-Fi at the cruise port?
- Wi-Fi isn't reliably available at the Sandy Ground cruise terminal. Consider a local SIM or your cruise line's data package.
- When should I be back at the ship?
- Cruise lines usually require all passengers on board about 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Confirm the exact all-aboard time on your daily programme.
Have something to share about Anguilla (Road Bay) Cruise Port?
Share a photo, suggest a thing to do, drop a map link, or tell us what you did in port.
Add a contributionAdmin reviews every contribution before it goes live.